Episodios

  • April Fools: Politicians, the press, and more

    April Fools: Politicians, the press, and more
    Apr 1 2025

    Pranks are a staple of April Fools' Day - even when it comes to politics and the press.

    On this special edition of Civics 101, Senior Producer Christina Phillips tests our April Fools knowledge with some surprising trivia, and a whole lot more!

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
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    41 m
  • The Politics Behind Your Taxes

    The Politics Behind Your Taxes
    Mar 25 2025
    Taxes on wages make up the bulk of federal revenue every year. Where does that money go, and who decides how much you should pay?The process is extremely complicated - and deeply political - which is why it's important for everyday taxpayers to understand how the people they elected choose to spend the money voters give out of their paychecks every year. We talk with tax policy expert Beverly Moran, a Paulus fellow at Boston College Law School and professor emerita at Vanderbilt, about how budget reconciliation works: where Congress decides where it will cut taxes, and how it will make up for those cuts. We also talk about how those decisionsaffect the vast majority of taxpayers, who earn most of their wealth from salary or wages... and how it looks different for the wealthiest Americans. Find Beverly's research on the impact of the 2017 TCJA here. Listen to our episodes on the history of the income tax in the United States, and how the tax return process works. We used a number of sources in this episode. Here are some, in order of appearance: How much revenue has the US government collected this year? from the US Treasury Department. Reconciliation explainer from the Congressional Budget Office.Budget Reconciliation: Tracking the 2025 Trump Tax Cuts from the Tax Foundation. What are itemized deductions and who claims them? from the Tax Policy Center. How did the TCJA change taxes of families with children? from the Tax Policy Center. The 2017 Tax Law Was Skewed to the Rich, Expensive, and Failed to Deliver on Its Promises from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Lifting the SALT Cap: Estimated Budgetary Effects, 2024 and Beyond from Penn Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Differences between the traditional CPI and Chained CPI from the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans say Medicaid cuts won't happen. But does their budget work without them? from NPR. Republicans want to lower taxes. The hard part is choosing what to cut. from the New York Times. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
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    55 m
  • How does the Post Office work?

    How does the Post Office work?
    Mar 18 2025

    It’s the government on your doorstep — the only Executive Branch agency that visits every home in the country on a regular basis. So how does the USPS do it? And what happens when an agency this essential is in trouble? Our guests for this episode are Allison Marsh, history professor at the University of South Carolina and Kevin Kosar, a Vice President at R Street.

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
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    22 m
  • The Kids are Alright: Civics Ed Update

    The Kids are Alright: Civics Ed Update
    Mar 11 2025

    Two years ago today, we attended Civic Learning Week and produced an episode on the state of civics education in the US. We heard some good things and some frustrating things. Today we're getting an update on civics education with Emma Humphries from iCivics, hearing some student audio submissions from our friends at the Youth Media Challenge, and getting advice on how students can make change with Cheryl Cook-Kallio.

    Click here to livestream the National Forum for Civics Learning Week.

    Click here to listen to our episodes on civics education in the US.

    Click here to read the full State of Young People report published by America's Promise Alliance.

    And finally, click here to check out the work students are producing (and submit your own!) for KQED's Youth Media Challenge.

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
    Más Menos
    28 m
  • Who's running the country? (Part 2)

    Who's running the country? (Part 2)
    Mar 4 2025

    Meet your president's Cabinet! Who was appointed, by what margin, and a look at the backgrounds of the people filling these critical roles.

    In other words, who is running our country? Let's find out.

    This is the second part of a two-part episode.

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
    Más Menos
    23 m
  • Who's running the country? (Part 1)

    Who's running the country? (Part 1)
    Mar 4 2025

    Meet your president's Cabinet. Who was appointed, by what margin, and a look at the backgrounds of the people filling these critical roles.

    In other words, who is running our country? Let's find out.

    This is the first part of a two-part episode.

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
    Más Menos
    27 m
  • A midwife's early American story

    A midwife's early American story
    Feb 27 2025

    Ariel Lawhon discusses the real-life early American midwife at the center of her novel The Frozen River.

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
    Más Menos
    39 m
  • NY Times v Sullivan: What if the press couldn’t tell the truth?

    NY Times v Sullivan: What if the press couldn’t tell the truth?
    Feb 25 2025

    When it comes to the protection of a free and fair press, there is one landmark Supreme Court case that sits at the top, and it is New York Times Company v Sullivan (1964).

    This case redefined libel in the United States and is cited in almost every defamation suit since, but its origin is in the Civil Rights Movement, when newspapers were sued to the brink of collapse for covering protests in the south.

    Taking us through libel, defamation, and "actual malice" are Ang Reidell, Director of Outreach and Curriculum at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and Samantha Barbas, professor at the Iowa College of Law and author of Actual Malice: Civil Rights and Freedom of the Press in New York Times v. Sullivan.

    Click here to watch a fantastic documentary from Annenberg on the case.

    Quick note to teachers! Our guests are collaborating today! The first fifty teachers who join the Civics Renewal Network will receive a free copy of Samantha Barbas's book, click here to sign up and get yours today!

    Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

    • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!
    • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
    • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!
    Más Menos
    23 m